I Am Still Free!

It’s around 8:30 A.M. (PST) on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 and the four (4) of us are standing on the corner of Webster Street and 3rd Street in Oakland, California near Jack London Square praying.

I am praying with two African-American women (a ninety (90) year old and an eighty-four (84) year old) and a dear Catholic sister who is a very good friend of mine. We are asking God to use us to reach the men and women going into the abortion clinic, right across the street, with the love of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

We agree that the women will stand across the street with literature sharing alternatives to abortion while I stand on the same side of the street near the door of the abortion clinic with the same literature and a sign that says “God loves you and your baby. Let us help you.”

As we take our positions, I am fully aware that this may be my last opportunity to do all I can to save my people.

This morning may be the last morning I will have a chance to stop the shedding of innocent blood in the African-American community.

This hour may be the last hour available to me to reach out to the men and women with child considering pre-natal murder.

I am in this position because on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, Tuesday, January 15th, 2008, the Oakland City Council passed a law that strips away my 1st Amendment rights. What I was arrested, tried and convicted for is not arrestable, triable and/or convictible at one hundred and one (101) feet away from the entrance of an abortion clinic.

Starting at one hundred (100) feet my 1st Amendment right that assures my freedom of speech is taken away. “Harassment” is defined as “counseling” and “counseling” is defined as having a conversation, displaying a sign and/or handing out literature.

This is an unjust law that does not apply to doctors, nurses, employees and volunteers who have the consent of the abortion clinic.

Since my viewpoint on the subject of infanticide (i.e., I believe life begins at conception) is different than those who endorsed this unjust law, I do not have the consent of the abortion clinic to hold a sign, engage in conversation and hand out literature to those seeking to terminate the life of their child.

In other words, I am not a part of the “protected class” of United States citizenry as defined by the Oakland City Council.

According to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, Tuesday, April 16th, 1963, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” …

“An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal.”

This law passed by the Oakland City Council is most assuredly both a violation of my 1st Amendment rights and an unjust law.

At around 9:30 A.M. the one (1) Oakland Police Department (OPD) Car and one (1) Oakland Police Department Officer arrived at the abortion clinic. He took a few minutes to talk with those inside the abortion clinic before coming back outside to talk with me.

Fortunately, my Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF) Lawyer was across the street watching me stand on a public sidewalk, hold both a sign and literature and attempt to gain consent to talk closer than eight (8) feet to those walking into the abortion clinic.

As I identified myself to the first Police Officer a second OPD Officer drove up and joined our conversation. After sharing with the Officers that I was standing on a public sidewalk, reaching out to the men and women considering infanticide, both officers went into the clinic to talk more with the “protected class” of United States citizenry (i.e., doctors, nurses, employees and volunteers who have the consent of the abortion clinic).

Eventually, both OPD Officers joined my lawyer and I on the sidewalk and after reviewing a printed copy of form CR-165 “Notice of Termination of Protective Order in Criminal Proceedings (CLETS).” I was warned that a brand new “Stay Away From This Abortion Clinic Order” was being drafted for me even as I was listening to the Officer speak.

The OPD Officers also made me aware that the Officers themselves can give me a “Stay Away From This Abortion Clinic Order” that I will have to obey or go to jail.

I graciously thanked the Officers for their candor, shook hands with each of them and watched one of the Officers drive away. The other Officer remained until I left which was within a few minutes as I soon noticed that it was about 10:00 A.M.

Today I am still free.

Tomorrow I may not be.

I believe this is an unjust law.

I believe one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.

Today I am still free.

Tomorrow I may not be.

I will continue to exercise my 1st Amendment rights as I reach out to the men and women seeking to brutally terminate the life of the child growing in the womb of his or her mother.

I thank you for taking a stand for the innocent. May the Lord continue to bless your ministry. You are an inspiration, and I pray that your work will spark an spiritual awakening in this country. For far to long have the voices of the unborn gone unheard. I say not one more.

Hi Brother in the Name of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! God bless you as you take this stand in a peaceful way in Jesus Name, and not in violence of any kind, for this is right in God’s sight! God hates seven things which includes “hands who shed innocent blood” according to the Scriptures found in the Bible located at Proverbs 6: 16 through 19!! So what they are doing when they do abortions is killing innocent babies in the sight of God which thing that God hates! One day God will judge those, not we or man to judge them but only God who is the righteous judge, who are killing those precious babies and those who stand by and let this happen instead of refusing to do abortions!! This is not my judgment or me judging anyone, so you cannot say that person is judging me, it is God’s judgment, from His own Holy Word the Bible, that will come upon those who kill innocent babies and allow this to happen thinking that they are doing society a right thing!! Those babies who do not have their own defense and cannot speak for themselves, God will speak for them, but who are helpless! God will forgive mothers and whoever else that is involved who allow this to happen if they will only come to Jesus and ask His forgiveness and turn from what they are doing, because of His great love for all mankind, He will forgive you and save you!!! But God knows what they are doing and I appreciate your stand for what is right in God’s sight according to the Scriptures of God’s Holy Word the Bible! He will bless you and give you strength in Jesus Name! May the Lord Jesus watch over you and help you in times of stress and persecution, I Pray this in Jesus Name, Amen! Your brother in Christ Jesus, Don

The Issues4Life Foundation targets and works directly with African-American Pastors and Priests nationwide and is dedicated to addressing the issues surrounding the inviolability of human life in the African-American community.